About Camilla Calhoun

Camilla Calhoun left her job at the Frick Collection in New York to follow her dream of living and writing in Italy where she spent her junior year in college. From the mid-1970s she lived for four years at her friend Aldo Rafanelli’s Tuscan villa where she wrote essays, participated in plantings and harvests and ran a flower shop in Florence. She and Aldo eventually married and had their first son in Italy before moving to New York. They lived with their two sons, Marco and Alessandro, in Millwood for 15 years before moving to Tarrytown in 2000. Camilla, who served as Education Director for the Westchester Land Trust, has masters degree in Environmental Education and is the founder of The Great Hudson River Paddle. Since 2003 she has co-owned an art business, Kiesendahl+Calhoun Fine Art, Ltd. She wrote a collection of essays about the love and loss of her husband Aldo in 2016. She is currently working on covid related essays and a novel.  

“Calhoun tells her tale in a compelling manner that will keep readers turning pages and rooting for the women’s success as their respective lives are revealed. Her depictions of the Tuscan countryside are particularly vivid and engaging. She also provides accessible details about the political upheaval in Italy in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s. A captivating story about Italian culture, tradition, and long-lasting family connections.”-Kirkus Reviews